Air Canada is standing by a pilot whose co-workers refused to fly with him, fearing he was suicidal and accusing him of threatening to ditch his aircraft in the Atlantic Ocean.

The airline insisted this week that a dispute between the unnamed pilot and chief steward Hugh Bouchard aboard a Toronto-Paris flight in July 2008 amounted to nothing more than a minor conflict between staff and a healthy, competent pilot.

Public safety was never compromised but the dispute went to Federal Court.

In court documents Bouchard said the pilot threatened to ditch the plane over the Atlantic, saying "he had nothing to lose as he was being fired anyway."

Airline spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said Thursday that the incident was investigated at the time, and the ensuing report made no reference to the pilot making a threat to ditch the plane.

However, the report did reflect Bouchard's claim the pilot had said: "If I lose my job, I have nothing to lose."

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